Reflex oscillator tube



R. W. HAEGELE REFLEX OSCILLATOR TUBE Filed Jan. 5, 1955 March 4, 1958 IN VEN TOR. waege /e A 'TTOR NE Y REFLEX OSCILLATOR TUBE Rowland W. Haegele, San Mateo, Calif., assignor to Eitel- McCullough, Inc., San Bruno, Calif., a corporation of California Application January 5, 1953, Serial No. 329,630 6 Claims. (Cl. SIS-5.22)

My invention relates to an improved electron discharge device of the reflux klystron type. It is among the objects of my invention to provide an improved envelope structure for a tube of the character described, designed for compactness and maximum ruggedness.

A further object is to provide improvements in the cavity resonator structure of such a tube.

Still another object is to provide an improved tuner construction.

The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some of which, with the foregoing, will be set forth in the following description of my invention. It is to be understood that 1 do not limit myself to this disclosure of species of my invention, as 1 may adopt variant embodiments thereof within the scope of the claims.

Referring to the drawing, the single figure is an axial sectional view of a tube embodying the improvements of my invention.

In greater detail, my tube comprises a generally cylindrical evacuated metal envelope having upper and lower tubular end sections 2 and 3. Between these sections is interposed a circular cavity resonator comprising an upper cup-shaped metal wall portion 4 and a lower disk-shaped metal wall portion 6. The lower wall portion of the resonator has an upturned lip 7 and the cylindrical side of the upper wall portion has a cooperating upturned lip 8 with an edge registering with that of the lip 7. These registering edges are metallically bonded by a braze 9 along the periphery of the resonator.

Cup-shaped wall portion 4 of the resonator encircles the upper envelope section 2 with a top flange secured at the braze 11 to the cylindrical surface of such section. The inner end of envelope section 2 thus projects into the resonator and is provided with a central opening 12 which serves as one of the resonator apertures. Diskshaped wall portion 6 of the resonator is brazed at 13 to the lipped inner end of the lower envelope section 3 and has a reentrant projection 14 having an aperture 16 adjacent to and aligned with aperture 12.

This structural arrangement provides a simle envelope with coaxial end sections having a circular cavity resonator therebetween, all of which is made up of stamped metal parts which are easy to assembly and braze together. The structure is also compact and has the ruggedness which is desirable in a tube of this kind.

A cathode 17 is supported in the lower envelope section 3 adjacent one side of the resonator and a repeller electrode 18 is supported in the upper envelope section 2 adjacent the other side of the resonator, the cathode and repeller being axially aligned with the resonator apertures 12 and 16. Cathode 17 is preferably of the oxide coated type, shaped as a flat button, and is mounted on a sleeve 19 connected to the inner end of a tubular terminal 21 which forms part of the cathode stem.

Terminal 21 is in turn supported by a metal U-shape'd "atent Patented Mar. 4, 1958 ice sealing ring 22 fitted in the enlarged end of envelope section 3, a vitreous body 23 such as glass being sealed between the terminal and the inner flange of the supporting ring. The lower edge of ring 22 registers with the edge of the envelope section, and these registering edges are metallically united by a braze 24.

A heater 26 positioned within the cathode assembly is connected at one end to the cathode terminal and at the other end to a central terminal prong 27. The latter is supported by a sleeve 28 brazed to and projecting downwardly within the tubular terminal, a vitreous head 29 being sealed between the prong and sleeve. The electron gun assembly is completed by a focusing sleeve 31 extending upwardly from terminal 21 about the cathode sleeve and having a focusing portion projecting beyond the cathode.

The supporting stem for the repeller electrode 18 is mounted in the upper end of the envelope in a manner similar to the cathode stem, namely, by means of a sealing ring 32 secured by a braze 33 and connected to a tubular terminal 34 by a vitreous body 36. The disk-like repeller electrode is supported on the inner end of terminal 34 by a perforated bracket 36. This stem structure also carries a metal exhaust tubulation 47 which is pinched off at tip 38 after exhaust.

A resonator grid 39 is preferably mounted on the inner end of envelope section 2 across the upper aperture 12, and a similar grid 41 is mounted on the reentrant projection 14 across the lower aperture 16. An accelerator grid 42 is also preferably arranged below the resonator, this grid being mounted on the resonator wall below the projection 14.

Energy is preferably coupled out of the resonator by a coaxial line 43 having an inner conductor 44 terminating in a coupling loop 46. This output line is located externally of the envelope and enters the resonator through the disk-shaped wall portion 6, the line being supported adjacent the outer end by passing through a mounting flange 47 secured to lower envelope section 3. Inner condoctor 44 is spaced from the outer conductor by insulating tube 48, and a vacuum-tight seal is provided by a glass bead 49.

A tuning structure is provided for changing the spacing between the resonator grids 39 and 41 to adjust the gap between the grids and hence the operating frequency of the tube. This spacing need not be changed greatly to give a reasonable tuning range. I achieve this in a simple way by fastening a first flange 51 on the side of the upper wall portion 4 of the resonator, and a second flange 52 on the upper section 2 of the envelope. The tuning is effected by screw means extending between the flanges, such as by studs 53 fastened to the lower flange and having nuts 54 engaging the upper flange so that the flanges maybe moved relative to each other by adjusting the nuts. The top flange 5 of the upper wall portion has sufficient flexibility under the pressure exerted by the adjusting screws to permit the slight changes necessary in the spacing between the grids. For fine tuning, one of the screw means is preferably a differentially threaded screw 56 so final setting of the frequency can be achieved with a screwdriver.

In other respects the cavity structure is quite rigid, so that once the frequency is set, it does not change. As shown, the lower disk-shaped wall portion 6 is preferably formed with an arcuate depression or groove to provide a reinforcing rib to further enhance the rigidity of the structure. The adjusting screws are preferably made of the same kind of metal as that used in the tube envelope construction so that the thermal expansion properties are consistent.

r 32. I claim: sectiumsecured intermediate. the-ends of the. Janene-said 1. A reflex oscillator tube comprising a generally cylinlower portion being disk-shaped and secured to the upper drical envelope having upper and lower tubular metal end of the lower envelope section, a metallic bond uniting end-tsectionm a 'cathode'ilisthezenvelope supportediby said registering edges along the periphery of the resonator; lower end--section,'. a.=repeller.electrodetinzthe cenvelopez-i a tuning structure for the tube comprising a first member Supported by ;the :upperwend. section; a cavity resonator. fastened to the resonator and-.aesecond member secured interposedbetweenthe=endtsectionseand=comprisingglpperr to the upper envelope section, and means for moving and lower wall portions of. metalxhavingedgea register? said first and said second members relative to each other,

ing along the periphery of theresonator, said uppenzpore" wherebyfiaid IOPfl Q fiexedhyfol'ces pplied byi tion being,cup;shaped -with:aagenerallyyradialatop,flange fiI'St'iand' isaid 'se'condamemhers toi-tthwinnentandiouter secured to .the externalcylindricalesurfaceof Ltheupper. g s 0 Said p flangeenvelope section intermediate the-endsof-the latter;,:-said:; 5. A eflex il r tube pr g a g l y y lower ,portionbein diskesha dd u ed to-theuppgp; drical envelope having upper and lower tubularmeta'lend end of the lowerenvelopeusection, said top fiange-being,-: Sections, a 'Cathodeln the d P pp ted y the lower flexible to permittuning-ofthe;.tube,-: and ;a-me-tallic zbond-;l5 end Section, a repeller electrode in the envelope Supported uniting saidregistering dges along-the periphery of the by the upper end section, a cavity resonator interposed re o aton between the end sections and comprising upper and lower 2; A reflex :oscillator. tubecomprisinga generally cylin-: Wall: Ph 0f lmetalahayihg Fedgesl iregislen'flg along drical envelope having upper and lower tubular metal. the p p y of the resonator;athletellieibond-uniting" -endtsections,.acathode in theenvelope supported b ;-tlie said registering e ro d pp -p beingrlower end section, a re eller electrode in the envelope pe with a generally:radieletopiflange' seeuredvfto the! supported by the upperend section, aecavitytresonator external Cylindrical slllfaceiiofthevuplmrl enllelopeinterposed .betweenthe end sectionsiand comprising upper lion, Said lower P being disk-Shaped and and lower wall portions of-metal having edges registerto the pp end Ofthe lower envelope, Section, Said 'ldwef ing along the periphery of the resonatonsaidupper p0r-25 portion of said resonator: and: said .upperend.sectiontof: tion being cup-shaped withla topfiange secured .to the said-envelope having aligned, apertures; resonatonegrids external cylindrical surface of the upperv envelope section eXtehdiIlg across Said apertures, and a gr-S m e intermediate the ends' of the latter, said lower portion the tube comprisihgzmfians hohhe-cted-bellween Said bei disk-shaped d secured to h upper d f h resonator and'said-upper end-section..of ,saidenvelopeitowlower envelope section,-,said top fia'nge. being flexible to .30 efiectreletive axial displacement between the pperendt: permit tuning of the tube, a metallic-bond uniting saidl ctionof said en p alld'the 'seidflange: registering edges along the periphery of the resonator, y hexure Q 's'aidlgenerauyradial p flange: the innerend 'of the upper envelope section projecting Oscillator tube comprising e l y ylininto the resonatorland having 'a central aperture, and a dfical envelope having pp and lower tubular metal Chd reentrant projection on the disk-shaped wall portion h'avi pe cathode n e pe ppor y th l wer ing an aperture aligned with said firs-t named aperture. end 565mm, a repehfih electrode illthe- PQ PPO Q 3. A reflex'oscilla'to'r tube comprising a generallycyliny the pp end Section, a cavity i posed-t drical'envelopehaving upper and lower tubular metal between thefind-secfion ahd-compl'isihg pe ahdlOWfil' end sections, a cathode in the envelope supported'by the WaHIPOIU'QHSA of metal lhaVingeedgeS-l registering 1 101 33 lower end section, a.repe ller electrode in the envelope 0 Periphery of lhrupphr I1d5eti0h n l sfll i supported by the upper end section, a cavity resonator P13 endfoft-isaid-lo'wef PP P9 interposed between the end sections and comprising upper being eupeehepetlieeid po s pedrand lower wall portions of metal having edges registering 531d lower pol'hohtof Said resonator and BaidlIPPEI along the periphery of the resonator,said upper portion section Ofisaid 'shvelope having aligned pl rES being cup-shaped with a top flange secured to the cylinr nator -grids'eXtendh1g across each of 'Said pe t s, n drical surface of .the upper envelope section intermediate a f Structure eohmrieihg means conhectedhetweenthe ends of the latter, said lower portion beingdisk 531d h Q and S upper end Section d QP? shaped and secured to the inner end of the lower envelope to efiec-t Telflhve aXlal PI w the pp n e sectionpsaidtop flange being flexible -to'permit tuning of A tight with 51 P the 'Quter wall of d nat y the tube, aimetallic bond uniting -said registering edges flexm'e of the-radtelrortlon 0f 531d p r a PO I along the Periphery f the resonator the upper end f of :said resonator 'said tuning means further comprising-a the uppertenvelope nprojecfinginto file .resonator plurality of screws -at least one of which is differentially and having a central aperture, areentrant projection on threaded Provldg a'fine tumng iadlustment? the di'sk shaped wall portion havinggan aperture aligned with'said'first'named aperture; and grids mounted across Referemes Cited inthefilefif this Pawnt said apertures. UNiTEDi STATES PATENTS j 4. A reflex'oscillator tube comprising a generally cylin- 40074; Clifford M 1 1946, drical' envelope having upper and lower tubular metal 4 Vance W 1945 i end sections, a cathode in the envelopesupported'by the 2,411,913 Pierce ,TJI 11 4 lower end section, a'repeller electrode in the envelope 4 a- 6 I j f 4 Sup orted by the upper end section; aicavityresonator 1 13 Scott M g- [19 .1 interposedzbetween the endsectionsand .comprisinguppet 6 I App/{194911 and loweitwall portions of metal havingvedges registering {4 i p; u j f g" 4 1 alongthe peripheryof the resonator, said upper portion 95 3 Rigmd f z 51: q 5,, 24 "1950 being pp with a generally radial top flflflgesee 2:605:443 Snow et al. iii .11: July "29, 1952 c r d to-rthe'cylindrical sulfaoeiofuthe-upper envelope 2,684,452 53mg, July 1,20,15,54,v

Patent No. 2,825,843

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION March 4, 1958 Rowland W. Haegele It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below,

Column 1, line 16, for "reflux" read reflex line 59, for "assemhly' read assemble column 3, line 45, for "secured to the" read secured to the external line 48, for "inner" read upper line 51-, for "upper" read inner Signed and sealed this 3rd day of June 1958.

(SEAL) Attest:

KARL H.a AXLINE Attesting Officer ROBERT C WATSON Commissioner of Patents 

